ATLANTA - When Kareem Young goes on trial in Chatham County for the shooting death of his cousin, prosecutors will be allowed to present evidence from another shooting in which Young was a suspect, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled Monday.

Prosecutors plan to argue that Young killed his cousin, 18-year-old Arkeem Young, in Garden City two years ago to keep Arkeem from telling police about a murder he (Kareem) had committed.

Authorities suspected Kareem of killing Antonio Spurgeon during an armed robbery at a convenience store on West Oglethorpe Avenue months earlier. Kareem was charged, but a grand jury did not indict him.

He appealed to the state's high court, arguing that prosecutors should not be allowed to introduce evidence from a prior act at the upcoming trial.

The justices unanimously decided that the earlier incident could be presented as a possible motive to kill Arkeem. Also a handgun linked to Kareem and used in both murders, according to the state's evidence, can be used to show a connection, the justices ruled.

Also on Monday, the state Supreme Court unanimously upheld the conviction in a separate Chatham County murder case. Frank Warner III was found guilty in connection with the attempted robbery and fatal shooting of Randy Hamilton in October 2003.